What's Good For Parks

About 19 percent of the City of Hyattsville's land area is park space, or can be used for recreation, said Anthony Mulkey, the city's former recreation and arts director, at a parks master plan community meeting late last month.

The goal of the master plan is to find out what's working and what isn't, and to determine the best course of action for the city's parkland in the future.

"We want all the ideas to come out," Mulkey said.

And they did.

Some residents, like City Councilman Matthew McKnight (Ward 3), noted that much of the city's park identity is Magruder Park with its fields, playgrounds and pool.

"Some of our small parks are not utilized, like Nicholson [Street park], where there's a bench and a sign that says, basically, 'Come sit down but don't do anything else' " McKnight said.

The park has a no ball-playing policy.

Other suggestions for improvement included:

*a butterfly garden

*a demonstration garden

*a permanent outdoor performance shelter

*a nature trail weaving through the trees along the Anacostia stream valley.

And some mentioned a change of venue for the Hyattsville Farmer's Market, which is now located behind Queens Chapel Town Center.

"They're great vendors but they're there by the dumpsters," said resident Nina Faye. "It's kind of gross."

City Councilman Bill Tierney (Ward 2) said the recreation building at Magruder Park needs some work. He suggested creating a new community center at the location.

"We now own the BB&T building," Faye said. "That strikes me as a great place for a community center."